Japan’s next PM faces growing concerns over immigration

Fanning worries is the ‘Japanese-first’ Sanseito party which did well in recent polls

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Turkish kebab restaurant worker Gur Sinan loves and feels welcome in Japan, but anxiety is growing in a country with historically low levels of immigration, just as the ruling party picks a new leader.

“I want to stay here for a long time,” Mr Sinan, 30, told AFP in Warabi, dotted with halal stores and shops with Chinese signs.

“] am studying Japanese. People are very nice here.”

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will elect a new head on Oct 4, who will most likely become the next prime minister after Mr Shigeru Ishiba decided to step down.

The two front runners, arch-nationalist Sanae Takaichi and the youthful Shinjiro Koizumi, are talking tough on foreigners.

Ms Takaichi says Japan should “reconsider policies that allow in people with completely different cultures and backgrounds”.

According to Mr Koizumi: “Illegal employment of foreigners and the worsening of public safety are leading to anxiety among local residents.”